Rise of the Crusader



Silence enveloped the area as Sybilla spoke. She sat atop a seven-foot-tall beast, both of them sneering at their surroundings. The ambush had been well-planned, and Sybilla couldn't help but be impressed.

As she dismounted her monstrous steed, she surveyed the desolate landscape. Not a single human or beast was in sight, the eerie quietude reminiscent of a graveyard.

"If you won't come out, then I will force you to appear," she declared, her voice echoing through the stillness. With a powerful stomp, she caused the ground to tremble violently beneath her.

Cracks spider-webbed across the earth, expanding and spreading throughout the area. As if that wasn't enough, she casually waved her hand, and the creature behind her unleashed a torrent of flames from its mouth.

In an instant, the once-peaceful environment was plunged into chaos. Amidst the inferno, Sybilla and her beast locked their gaze on a figure standing defiantly in the heart of the flames.

Raphael stood unflinching in the scorching heat, the fire seemingly afraid to touch him. As the flames danced around him, they retreated anytime they drew too close, as though terrified of his presence.

"So, you finally decided to show yourself, Raphael," Sybilla said, her face betraying no emotion.

"What do you want?" she asked, not expecting a response. She continued without waiting for him to speak. "Wait, let me guess—you've come to kill me." A twisted smile crept across her face.

Raphael remained silent, his expression unreadable. He stared intently at Sybilla and the creature beside her, neither confirming nor denying her accusation. His thoughts were a whirlwind, but he maintained a steely poker face.

Sybilla took a step forward and extended her arm, her eyes closed. "Why don't you come give it your best shot and see what your efforts will yield?" she taunted him.

Raphael didn't let her mockery get under his skin. Instead, he waved his hand, and a shimmering boomerang materialized in his grasp.

Sybilla's eyes remained closed, but the corners of her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Don't waste my time, Raphael. I'm giving you this chance now, but you might not get another opportunity."

Despite Raphael's apparent confidence in his abilities and his lack of fear, Sybilla remained unworried. After all, she was immortal. He could try to kill her, but she was certain he couldn't succeed.

Raphael sneered, his grip tightening around the boomerang. With a swift motion, he hurled it forward. As it soared through the air, lightning crackled around its body, accelerating its speed.

Within moments, it reached Sybilla, slicing through her neck with the ease of a knife cutting through watermelon.

The boomerang continued its trajectory, lightning sparking from its form into Sybilla's body, which trembled violently as blood spurted forth.

The lightning's devastating power caused both of her arms to separate from her body. And, as if that damage weren't enough, the boomerang swung back for another strike. Sybilla's body teetered on the brink of collapse, but just before she could fall, the weapon passed through her once more. This time, the coursing lightning doubled in intensity.

Throughout this violent display, a seven-foot-tall creature observed Raphael with an air of contempt, shaking its head in disapproval. It made no move to interfere as Sybilla's body was ravaged by the boomerang and the accompanying lightning.

The creature considered the entire scene a waste of time, and soon enough, its assessment proved correct.

Sybilla's dismembered body began a remarkable transformation, her limbs reassembling and her wounds healing before their very eyes. Her hair danced around her as she opened her eyes, a taunting smile gracing her lips. It was as though she were saying, "I told you so," to Raphael.

"Is there anything else you want to try, Raphael?" she sneered, clearly finding his actions foolish and thoughtless.

In response, the lightning-infused boomerang launched itself towards Sybilla once again. But this time, before it could reach her, the towering creature intervened, unleashing a burst of flame that reduced the boomerang to ashes.

Sybilla's expression shifted dramatically as the flames erupted. She spun to face the beast, her eyes cold and menacing. "Who said you could attack!" she snapped, her voice dripping with displeasure.

The creature gulped and lowered its head, taking a step back. It understood that it had overstepped its bounds, interfering in a battle it had no place in. Truthfully, the fight was one-sided, with Sybilla's immortality rendering her nearly invincible against the metahuman Raphael.

As the beast retreated, Sybilla faced Raphael once more. Her shock turned to intrigue as she appraised him, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She licked them seductively, her gaze never leaving his face.

"The only reason I haven't killed you yet, despite your attempts on my life, is because I find you... interesting," she purred. "And, because I know you can be dealt with."

"Unlike that brat Vernon, we can still manage you. But you made me realize that perhaps I was wrong about you, not even I, perhaps we were wrong you. And you might even be a more bigger problem than Vernon because there's something you have that just as much as we are not scared of you, you're also not scared of us."

Her smile widened, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Initially, I planned to have my people investigate you, to uncover your secrets," she confessed. "But you've so graciously offered yourself to me. How could I refuse such a generous gift?"

Raphael couldn't help but chuckle at her bravado. Sybilla's brow furrowed in confusion, but before she could question his amusement, he suddenly reached out and placed his hand on top of her head.

His grip tightened around her hair, his expression turning icy. "Did you truly believe I wouldn't realize?" he asked, his voice dripping with derision.

In that instant, Sybilla's body began to tremble violently, as if seized by an uncontrollable force. She could feel the destructive power of his decay seeping into her hair. Her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Y-You..."

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